Ballina towns premier league link with crystal palace
Young people in Ballina and Belfast are set to benefit from Premier League-standard football coaching and sports programming for the next three years as sport for development charity Active Communities Network, Premier League side Crystal Palace FC and their Foundation, and Ballina Town FC kick off a new partnership with a week-long launch programme starting on Monday (February 16).
The three likeminded organisations share a common belief of social inclusion through sport by providing pathways to participation through training and upskilling coaches, working with young people of all abilities, and developing and supporting coaches to grow the game.
The first half of the week sees the programme, which includes small-sided games and training, delivered at Belleek Park, home of Ballina Town FC.
Pupils from two local schools - Culleens National School and Scoil Phadraig National School - will be put through their paces by elite coaches from the Crystal Palace FC Foundation plus three young coaches from Active Communities Network Belfast who are undertaking a week-long placement and mentoring programme with the Premier League club.
The second half of the week will see the Belfast coaches continue their development with the Crystal Palace FC Foundation in Belfast as they work with local community groups.
Former Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Manchester City and Republic of Ireland player Eddie McGoldrick, now Under 12 assistant coach at Crystal Palace, is the official ambassador for the programme, which will also see Crystal Palace FC Foundation coaches attend the Ballina Town awards night on Monday.
The week marks the beginning of the long-term partnership that will also see youth tournaments and skill exchanges between partners in the UK and Ireland through Active Communities Network - a charity based in Belfast, London, Manchester and South Africa - alongside the Crystal Palace FC Foundation and Ballina Town.
Roots
The roots of the partnership started in August 2013 when Active Communities Network and the Crystal Palace FC Foundation used the occasion of a pre-season friendly between Palace and League of Ireland side Waterford United to run football coach education sessions and delivery in tandem with two separate groups of 14- to 17-year-old boys and girls visiting the home of Crystal Palace - Selhurst Park - to watch Premier League games, with both groups taking part in VIP tours of the ground and being presented on the pitch at half-time.
David Groves, chair of trustees, Crystal Palace FC Foundation, said: “This new programme in Ballina and Belfast is part of a long-term commitment to these areas and forms part of our constant striving towards creating strong partnerships that transcend our national presence and widen opportunities throughout the world. As a deep-rooted community club, we welcome the opportunity to give young people anywhere a chance to experience the ‘Palace Way’ and share this message with the worldwide community.”
Ballina Town chairman Colm Hendry said: “Ballina Town FC prides itself on having deep roots in the community and as part of this we seek to engage actively with the people we come in contact with and provide them with a quality service. In forming this partnership with Crystal Palace FC and their Foundation, we believe that we are very much fulfilling this brief and we look forward to providing local youth with quality coaching which Crystal Palace FC, as a forward-thinking Premier League club, represents.”
Mr. Hendry said the club is looking forward to welcoming representatives from Crystal Palace and Active Communities Network alongside young people from Belfast next week and forging friendships while leaving a lasting positive impact locally.
Ballina Town's awards night starts at 7.30 p.m. on Monday in The Broken Jug, with Eddie McGoldrick and Crystal Palace representatives the special guests. All are welcome.